Demetri Martin to Appear in Soderbergh’s ‘MoneyBall’

One of my favorite stand-up comedians in the last few years has been Demetri Martin. He’s probably most well-known for his fantastic Comedy Central specials and occasional appearances on “The Daily Show.” His new sketch comedy show “Important Things” has its moments and now he is making the inevitable transition to the big screen. Rather than go the typical route of comedians and appear in cheesy SNL-inspired parodies, Demetri Martin is taking a higher route. He has already been showing up on year-in-advance Oscar charts for his leading role in Ang Lee’s upcoming Taking Woodstock. Now Variety reports that he will be appearing opposite Brad Pitt in Steven Soderbergh’s Moneyball slated for release in 2011. Here’s what Variety says about the film:

Martin will play Paul De Podesta, a Harvard grad who turned down Wall Street jobs to use his statistical skills to change baseball scouting tactics. His system, known as “Earned Run Value,” allowed Beane to evaluate valuable players he could hire at low cost.

I could see Martin pulling off the eager young statistician. He’s got the right combination of confidence and geekiness. For a guy who’s credits rarely place him outside of Comedy Central, this is a hell of a start to a film career (I know he had bit parts in The Rocker and Analyze That, but those hardly count). Below is a clip of some of his best stand up jokes from a Comedy Central special.

About Alex Carlson

Alex started Film Misery in early 2009 after living the site’s title for many years. His film obsession began in high school when he and his friends would see all of the Oscar Best Picture nominees and try to make predictions...Full Bio.